


im coming, wait for me

by orphan_account



Category: Hadestown - Mitchell, Queen (Band)
Genre: Angst, Inspired by Hadestown, Inspired by Orpheus and Eurydice (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), M/M, angsty though (sorry), fluff and then angst, i freaking love hadestown and i thought this would be PERFECT, its HADESTOWN what do u expect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-10 20:10:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20857553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: freddie was a hungry young boy.roger was a poor boy working on a song.





	im coming, wait for me

**Author's Note:**

> okay quick note brian is supposed to be hades and john is persephone; hermes is just hermes (because its. Hermes)

“freddie was a hungry young boy. a runaway, from anywhere he’d ever been. he was no stranger to the world. no stranger to the wind.”

and hermes was right. there freddie was, hungry, hardly standing. the only money he had was for catching a bus to the next town; unless it had been robbed from him or he had bought a morsel to eat.

the wind blew in his face, cold. freddie sighed and slumped against the bus stop bench, pulling out a journal from his backpack with all of his belongings. 

“any way the wind blows” he wrote, smirking the tiniest bit. he put the journal away, a bus pulling up.

****

”roger was the son of a muse. and you know how those muses are. sometimes they abandon you. and this poor boy, he wore his heart out on his sleeve. you might say he was naive to the ways of the world. but he had a way with words, and rhythm, and rhyme. and he sang just like a bird up on a line; and it ain’t because i’m kind. but his mama was a friend of mine; and i liked to hear him sing. so i took him under my wing.”

and there he stayed. until one day.

“come home with me.” roger’s hand was held out to the boy on the bench, both of them shivering.

”who are you?” freddie replied, seemingly unimpressed.

”the man whose gonna marry you. im roger.”

freddie grabbed roger’s hand, both of their hands mending together. as if they would forever be together.

“oh, im freddie.”

”your name is like a melody.” freddie would have blushed but he was already red from the cold.

“a singer? is that what you are?”

”i also play drums, guitar and the lyre-“ freddie cut him off.

”a lyre and a player.” roger smiled at the pun. “i’ve met too many men like you. now whose to say you wont be just like them?”

”i can make you feel alive. bring the world back into tune.”

”show me then.” 

“what?” roger’s hands were shaking even more.

”if you wanna take me home, show me the song.”

and roger sang beautifully.

******

”its cold.”

”i know, love.” roger moved the candle closer to freddie’s hands, still working on his song.

”maybe if you weren’t so busy with that song, we could cuddle and get warmer. just a suggestion.” freddie pouted. a playful smirk emerged on his lips however.

”maybe if john would just, i dont know, bring the spring and summer back?” roger shook his head. “its well already into the middle of summer, or at least the two seasons.” roger continued scribbling words and notes onto his papers.

freddie looked out the window. “rog, theres a storm coming on.”

”ignore it. ill finish the song.” roger yelped, trying to focus.

”okay. i’ll travel to the market to try and get some food, who knows how long the storm will last.”

****

“little songbird, got your coin?” freddie stepped inside of the warm office within hadestown. “hades, why is the weather up there so cold?”

”do not address me as hades. so formal. brian instead.” brian looked down at the contract between them, signing anything needed.

”okay, brian, why is the weather so messed up? last time john was there it was for a month! one out of the usual six.” brian shook his head.

“shouldn’t matter. you’re in hadestown now. your work assignment is over there. get going.” freddie murmured in dissapointment.

”i’m freddie.” he said to the workers, acting as if they were deaf. 

“they can’t hear you. they can, but they dont care.” the voice in his head said, and freddie nodded.

he just wished he had waited for roger.

****  


”mister hermes! where is he?” roger had ran to meet his adoptive father after noticing that freddie had disappeared.

”why do you wanna know? he called your name before he went... but i guess you weren’t listening.”

”no.” roger felt everything crumble before him.”don’t tell me he’s...”

”down below. six feet under the ground, below.” roger had tears forming in the corner of his eyes.

“just how far would you go for him?” hermes asked him, causing roger to go wide eyed.

”till the end of time.” he said. “till the end of the earth.” 

“do you have a ticket for the train?” roger shook his head. “didn’t think so. there is another way... but i’m not supposed to say.”

”another way?” hermes nodded.

”around the back. but that isn’t easy walking it’s not for the sensitive of souls; so do you really wanna go?”

”with all my heart.” roger answered, holding the beautiful yellow flower in his hand to remind him of his love.

”with all your heart? well... thats a start.”

hermes gave roger a map.

”how to get to hadestown...”

****

  
”i’m coming, wait for me...” roger whispered in the dark. “i hear the walls repeating the falling of my feet... and it sounds like drumming.” raising the yellow flower to the singular lamp in the darkness. “and i am not alone. i hear the rocks and stones echo in my soul...” roger barely smiled at the empty poetry. “i’m coming.”

”who are you? who do you think you are?” the voices in his head screamed. roger shook his head, singing the song to bring back the spring to keep him calm.

”la la la la la la la...” 

******  


“what i wanted was to fall asleep... close my eyes and disappear...” freddie sighed. truly all he wanted was to be warm and he wanted his love most of all, his love that he had forgotten.

a song of despair echoes in the walls of hadestown, not from her. nothing comes out of her mouth if she tries. none of the workers. not brian or john. 

“la la la la la la la...” freddie... knew that voice. “r.. roger.” tears were flowing from his eyes as a blond haired boy stumbled through the walls.

”freddie...” they ran into eachother’s arms.

”come home with me...” roger whispered.

”i cant...”

”why not? i can sing us home... just like i came.” 

“cause of had- brian...” freddie whispered.

”young man.” a bold, loud voice was the only thing heard in the room. “you don't belong here.” 

“i- i’ve come for my love.” roger whimpered.

”foolish boy. surely you know that everyone, and everything in hadestown... i own.” hades _or was it brian? _declared. “and i only buy what others choose to sell.” roger face turned from a look of hope to despair, the same he had when he was told that freddie was six feet under.

”freddie... it isn’t true...” roger reached out to caress freddie’s face.

”i’m sorry.” he took the hand on his face into his own, sinking into roger’s touch. 

“you best be on your way, son.” brian sneered.

"i-"

"now."

roger warily walked away, glancing back at freddie who was mouthing an "i'm sorry."

he walked out of the hole he had made in the wall, tears streaming out of his eyes. 

"if it's true what they say..." he wiped the tears from his face to make room for the oncoming tears. "if my love is gone for good... " he couldn't bare to walk anymore, heartbroken. "then i'll be on my way..." he sang a song of sadness, his music echoing in the walls of the tunnel and the wall inside of hadestown. 

freddie heard it all. the workers heard it all. brian and john heard it all. the workers started repeating his song. "if it's true..." they threw their tools on the ground, marching towards brian on his throne. brian shyed away from the crowd, running to the nearest building to 'hide.' john followed behind him, after settling the workers down.

"brian, my husband, my light, my darkness." john caressed brian's shoulders. "if you'd have heard how poor roger sang tonight... you'd pity him. why not let him go with his love? he's just a poor boy." brian glared at him with anger, almost regret in his eyes. "how long? how long until this work is complete? just let them go together."

"how long?" brian stood, towering over john. "just as long as i'm king. nothing comes of wishing on a star. however sorry they are." he slammed his hands on the counter. "show them a crack, they'll tear down the wall. lend them an ear and the kingdom will fall."

"what does he care for the logic of kings?" john pressed. "the laws of this.. neon necropolis? it is only for love that he sings!" he threw up his hands in anger. "he sings for the love of a boy!"

"stop pitying every poor boy you come across. there's no place for that in my bed. how long until you realize that every minor inconvenience can't be pitied?" brian huffed.

"just as long as i am your wife." john crossed his arms. he tried to walk out of the building, but backed off when he heard the workers.

"is it true?" was heard from outside.

"what's that noise?" brian asked.

"is it true?" the same words echoed, the same words spoken by roger. "its the boy."

his refrain was echoed by a million tons of stone and steel. 

john and brian stepped out of the building, the workers scattering back. "keep your head low, if you wanna keep your head..."

brian shoved through the lines of workers, trying to find roger.

"why do we turn away when out brother is bleeding?" a worker interrupted. there were nods of agreement from all of the workers, including freddie. "why do we build the wall and call it freedom?"

brian wished to interject, but it was either find roger before the workers, or be forced to let him go with freddie.

"if we're free, tell me why i can't look in my brother's eye?"

  


"young man. got to hand it to you, you don't scare easy, huh?" brian yelled once he found roger. roger was clearly scared, but he wouldn't back down. not until he got freddie back.

"are you brave, or stupid? wait, it doesn't matter; my husband _loves_ your song. but it takes more than a song to keep a man in your arms." roger shook his head.

"take it from me; no longer young. if you wanna keep your man, give him money. gold. silver, diamonds, anything. not just a song," brian towered over roger.  


_______what if i raised my voice? what if i raised my head? could i change my fate? _ roger thought. he would. he could. he'd raise his voice at the man in front of him, get freddie back.  


"if we're free, why can we not stand up right?" the workers were all glaring at brian, who was still angry. brian didn't care. 

"young man. i was young once too. just one song isn't going to work." brian turned to walk away, to be greeted by john, running through the crowd. he turned back to roger, laughing. "tell you what, roger. sing me a song, put an end to your misery, since my husband here is such a fan. make the king feel young again. sing for an old man."

roger pulled his guitar from his shoulders, playing a simple chord. "king of shadows, king of shades. brian was king of the underworld..." he sang. 

"oh, it's about me." brian chuckled. the entirety of hadestown was watching roger.

freddie was watching him from behind brian and john. "go on." he mouthed.

"but he fell in love with a beautiful man, who walked up above in his mother's green field." he took a breath. "he fell in love with john; who was gathering flowers in the light of the sun. and i know how it was because.." he looked straight at freddie. "he was like me. a man, in love."

the entire room went silent as he prepared to play the next chord. "singing; la la la la la la la..." brian's smirk was erased from his face. "la la la la la la la"

"where'd you get that melody?" brian's face was a look of pure almost nostalgia, like there were so many forgotten memories coming back to him.

"let him finish, brian."

"and you didn't know how, and you didn't know why." he looked into freddie's now tearful eyes. "but you knew that you wanted to take him home." he remembered the first time he met freddie, singing 'come home with me'.

"you saw him alone there, against the sky. it was like he was someone you'd always known; it was like you were holding the world when you held him." brian and john exchanged looks, but at the same time didn't dare take their eyes off of roger. "like yours were the arms that the whole world was in; and there were no words for the way that you felt. so you opened your mouth and started to sing."

"la la la la la la la." he was joined by a few workers, by third time he had repeated the same melody, all of hadestown minus brian, john and freddie were singing.

"and what has become of the heart of that man?" brian's eyes were rimmed with tears. "now that the man is king? now that he has everything?"

john looked up to brian, taking his eyes off of roger to caress brian's face.

"he's grown so afraid that he'll lose what he owns... but he doesnt know that what he's defending is already gone." the only sound heard throughout the entirety of hadestown was a gasp from john as a tear ran down brian's face.

"where is the treasure inside of your chest? where is your pleasure? where is your youth? where is the man with his arms out stretched to the man he loves... with nothing to lose." roger cried.

"singing... la la la la la la la..." roger stopped.

the only sound heard was a shaky, tearful breath from brian. "la la la la la la la..." brian nodded for roger to continue. "la la la la la la la..." roger sang once again. "la la la la la la la..." brian and john sang together.

there was only silence as the song ended, brian and john in eachother's arms. 

freddie ran over to roger, planting a kiss on his lips. 

"roger... you finished it."

"yes... now what do i do?"

"you take me home... you take me home! lets go. right now!" freddie grabbed roger's arm, pulling him away from the crowd of workers. "what about him?"

"he'll let us go. look at him; he can't say no."

"and the workers?"

"we'll show the way. if we can do it, so can they."

they ask brian if they can go. his answer? "i don't know."

he faces a dilemma. he could give up freddie and destroy order on the town, or keep freddie and he becomes a martyr.  


"fine. you can go. but." he glares at freddie and roger. "your fate is in roger's hands. roger the undersigned shall not turn to look behind. he's out of sight and he's out of his mind, every coward seems courageous in the safety of a crowd. bravery can be contagious when the band is playing loud. nothing makes a man so bold, as a man's smile and a hand to hold. but all alone his blood runs thin and doubt comes- doubt comes in."

freddie and roger glared at brian, but they turned around and left. they followed the rules they were given; roger in front, freddie behind him. if roger turned to make sure he was following, it would be the end. a trial of self control.

"show the way." freddie smiled at roger for what could be the last time.

"think they'll make it?" john asked a still teary eyed brian. "i don't know."

"brian, you let them go." "i let them try."

roger stayed strong in front of freddie, not daring to look back.

not daring until doubt comes in.

"where is he... where is he..." roger heard in his mind. "who am i... where do i think i'm going? who am i to think that he'd follow me into the cold and dark again..." he almost looked back, but stopped once he heard freddie's voice. "roger... i'm here. i hear only you, our footsteps. it's okay. i'm here and i will be till the end. from the coldest night of the coldest year, right before the spring." roger wanted to turn around. he didn't.

"la la la la la la la..." roger sang. "la la la la la la..." 

the world fell silent._ who am i... who am i against him? who am i? why would he.. let me win? why would he let freddie go? who am i to think that he wouldn't deceive me just to make me leave alone? _doubtfulness ran through roger's head. _is this a trap that's being laid for me? is this a trick that's being played on me? where is he? where is he now?_

"roger... you are not alone. i'm right behind you." freddie assured him. "and i have been all along. darkest hour of the darkest night, comes right before-"

his breath hitched. roger had turned around. silence.

"its you." roger whispered.

"it's me." freddie was being pulled back down. "roger..."

he had disappeared from sight.

"freddie." roger broke down.


End file.
